Westborough band creates 'Ode' to Marathon victims

Sunday

Mar 30, 2014 at 8:52 AM

By Chris Bergeron

Daily News staffWESTBOROUGH - How do you sing a song about lives lost and limbs shattered when finish line celebrations at the Boston Marathon turned into shocked disbelief?Rick Schiffman and the indie rockers of Root Nine sing it like everything else they play: with their signature mix of well-crafted music and lots of heart.Since October 2013, the five-member band has been playing "Ode to Java Joe,’’ a poignant song that evokes the chaos of the 2013 Marathon bombing and communal spirit that grew in its aftermath.Written by Schiffman’s longtime friend Lis Giusto, "Ode’’ mixes memorable images of Boston before and after the explosions that killed three bystanders and wounded hundreds with its haunting refrain – "in an instant.’’Beginning with Schiffman and Giusto stopping for coffee after a Red Sox game, it narrates "an incomplete journey’’ on a "postcard perfect day’’ to the "instant (when) an innocent calm became a storm.’’Giusto named the song from her late mother’s nickname – "Joe’’ for Joyce - and the cup of coffee she believed saved her daughter from harm if they’d reached the finish line as planned.Schiffman said "Ode’’ has been dedicated to slain bystanders Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell and Lu Lingzi, and MIT police officer Sean Collier who was murdered by the alleged bombers. All proceeds from the song’s sales will be donated to the Boston One Fund and the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation.Born in the ‘burbs and developing a loyal fan base in Bean Town and beyond, Root Nine was formed in 2010 by Schiffman, a singer and guitarist from Westborough.It includes guitarist Jeff Vetstein, of Ashland, drummer Todd O’Neil, of Maynard, keyboardist Michael Lee, of Medford, and bassist Matt Barber, of Watertown. All members sing except Barber."We were lucky to find people we all clicked with musically,’’ said Schiffman.He described Root Nine as "an indie band with lots of different influences, including classic rock, jazz and alt country.’’ They write their own material while covers comprise about 25 percent of their sets.For the last 18 months they’ve been performing mostly in Cambridge and Somerville with appearances in Framingham and Worcester.Last year they released an expanded play CD titled "Root Nine’’ with five original songs.Born in Worcester, Schiffman moved to Westborough and started playing guitar at 11, spurred by a "love of the Beatles’’ and "guitar heroes like Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page.’’On April 15, 2013, Schiffman and Giusto had reached about a quarter mile from the Marathon finish line when they heard two explosions.An executive administrator who’d never written a song before, Giusto said she felt "compelled’’ to write about a tragedy that resulted an outpouring of community solidarity.Giusto’s lyrics convey both the shocked disbelief of "an instant (when) ribbons of triumph were torn’’ and "busy streets held no life.’’And while "Java Joe’’ never specifically mentions the Marathon, it ends by celebrating the solidarity that grew from senseless violence."In an instant that was whole now broken / In an instant the unspeakable was spoken,’’ the final stanza concludes, "In an instant once stray threads, now a tapestry woven / In an instant.’’Schiffman said the band usually plays "Ode’’ during its final set in most shows."It’s impossible to rehearse or play it without thinking about its subject matter,’’ he said. "We never think of it as a regular song or just go through the motions. It’s always an emotional song to play.’’To learn about Root Nine, visit www.rootnineband.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rootnine and on Twitter @RootNineaband. Root Nine's single "Ode to Java Joe" is available from iTunes, Amazon, cd baby and other digital music outlets. All proceeds from sales of the song will be donated to Boston's One Fund and www.teamMR8.org.Chris Bergeron is a Daily News staff writer. Contact him at cbergeron@wickedlocal.com or 508-626-4448. Follow us on Twitter @WickedLocalArts and on Facebook.

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